The invention relates to a headrail for window coverings such as pleated shades, roman shades and venetian blinds and the brackets used to mount the headrail on a window frame.
Headrails for window coverings generally are elongated metal structures having a front wall and a bottom with some headrails also having a rear wall parallel to the front wall. These headrails are mounted on the window frame with brackets that either attach to the ends of the headrail or to the walls of the headrail at selected intervals. One common type of bracket is an L-shaped structure having hooks at either end. An example of such a prior art bracket is shown in FIG. 1. That bracket has a rear wall R with a spring arm S extending from the rear wall. This arm can flex toward and away from the rear wall. A top T extend from the upper edge of the rear wall R. There is a hook one the outer edge of the top and a hook on the end of the spring S. The headrail H is seated in the hook on the spring and a lip on the front wall of the headrail fits into the hook on the top T. A headrail is installed on this prior art bracket by first placing the lip of the front wall on the hook on the top and there pivoting the headrail back towards the rear wall R until a rail on the bottom edge of the headrail catches within the hook on spring S. Typically there will be a notch in the top of the bracket into which the top edge of the rear wall of the headrail fits. This notch arrangement means that the headrail cannot move toward and away from the rear wall of the bracket. Should the width of the headrail be out of specifications the rear wall of the headrail must be flexed to fit within the notch. But, at the ends of the headrail and near the cradles the headrail may not flex. Therefore, the bracket cannot be placed at these locations even though those locations are the positions where the most support is needed. Another prior art bracket that is rarely used is C-shaped having a flat portion with hooks at either end that engage the rear wall and bottom of the headrail. A major problem with the C-shaped bracket as well as the bracket shown in FIG. 1 is that after the headrail has been mounted on the brackets the positions of the brackets are difficult to find when one desires to take down the blind. This problem is overcome in a similar bracket that has a lip on the front wall that turns outward rather than inward and the hook on the front extends over the lip. When this bracket is used the portion of the hook that extends over the front wall of the headrail is easily seen unless the hook has been painted to match the color of the headrail. But, if painting is done the cost of the bracket is higher and the installer must carry brackets in a variety of colors to match all of his headrails.
The art has also developed brackets with lock mechanisms that releasably engage the headrail. One such bracket was sold by Verosol USA in the 1980""s and is illustrated in FIG. 2. This bracket had a rear wall R having a hook at the bottom and top portion T extending outward from the top edge of the wall rear. A spring lever S extended down from the top. The rear wall was configured as shown to have a pad portion through which a pair of mounting screws passed to attach the bracket to the wall. A sliding bar B with a hook fits through a slots in the rear wall on either side of the pad portion. The bar passes between the heads of the pair of screws and engages the spring S. The headrail H has a lip or rail along the rear edge of its bottom. To install the headrail the installer placed the rail on the hook and pivoted the headrail on the hook until the rear wall of the headrail passed over a bump on the spring to the position shown in FIG. 2. The spring pressed down on the rear wall of the headrail keeping the rail along the bottom edge of the headrail in the hook. To remove the headrail from the bracket the installer pushed the bar upward against the spring and lifted the headrail from the hook on the rear wall R of the bracket. This bracket had several problems and was not commercially successful. The bracket provided no support for the front of the headrail. Therefore, one pulling the lift cords extending from the headrail could dislodge the headrail from the bracket. The bracket could flex or rock about the mounting screws because both the top and the bottom edges of the rear wall R of the bracket were spaced away from the wall on which the bracket was mounted.
Large blinds require several brackets for installation. Typically, the installer attaches the brackets to the window frame and then attaches the headrail of the blind to the brackets. If the brackets have a locking mechanism the installer then activates the mechanism on each bracket to hold the blind in place. While one installer can himself install most blinds, many brackets are difficult to disengage from the headrail and thus require two installers to take the blind down. One person must hold the headrail on the brackets while the second person releases all the lock mechanisms and moves his ladder to reach the spaced apart brackets. The second person is needed because when all lock mechanisms are released the headrail may easily fall from the brackets. A second person is also required because the spring on the bracket, particularly the bracket shown in FIG. 1, is often stiff making it difficult to disengage the headrail from the hooks.
Another problem encountered with many brackets of the prior art is that they can only engage the headrail at certain locations. Should the installer be unable to attach the bracket to a window frame at any preselected position, he may simply not install it or must try to cut the headrail or bracket to attach the bracket at a different location.
Yet another problem with the brackets of the prior art is that a headrail can easily move transversely along a path parallel to the wall on which it is mounted. Such transverse movement may hinder installation and removal of the blind. In addition the blind could creep left or right over time as the blind is raised and lowered by the user.
Consequently, there is a need for a bracket and headrail system that is easy to install and allows the installer to place brackets at any location along the headrails. Such a system should enable a single installer to mount any large blind that he can lift into place. The brackets should securely hold the headrail and yet allow easy removal and replacement by a single installer.
A headrail and bracket system for window coverings has a plurality of brackets that support the headrail. Each bracket has a top having a front edge and a rear edge. A rear wall and a front wall extend from the top. The rear wall has a first portion attached to the rear edge of the top, a first transition position attached to the first portion, a second portion attached to the second portion and a third portion attached to the second transition portion, the first portion and the third portion lying in a common plane and the second portion being parallel to the common plane. When the bracket is installed the first and third portions are flush with the wall providing two spaced apart areas of wall contact. A lever extends from the front wall toward the back wall to a distal end. The lever has at least one tab extending from the lever in a direction away from the top. An actuator is movably connected to the rear wall and positioned to engage the lever and move the lever toward the top.
The headrail has a front wall having with a top and a bottom extending towards the rear wall of the bracket. A first tab is attached to the top portion of the front wall and forms a slot defined by the first tab and the top of the headrail. A bracket tab extends from the front wall of the bracket and is within the slot. A second tab extends from the top of the headrail and is engaged by the tab extending from the lever. The bottom of the headrail has a tab or rail engaged by the at least one hook extending from the rear wall of the bracket.